Trim Livan At Marlins' Pitching Fore-front

MIKE BERARDINO

February 18, 1998|MIKE BERARDINO Staff Writer

VIERA — Livan Hernandez has a confession to make. There's a new addiction in his life.

It's not the fast food. The Marlins pitcher is past that. He no longer whips his black Porsche into the drive-through lane of every McDonald's and Burger King he passes. He fought too hard to shed those 23 excess pounds he picked up two winters ago to blow it all now.

Rather, Hernandez's new weakness is something more insidious than mere food. It can make grown men come completely unglued in public places. It can make otherwise sane individuals drop to their knees, gnash their teeth and lift cries of anguish to the sky.

Or worse.

We're talking about golf.

``I watch golf on TV. I practice all the time. I was playing four to five times a week this winter,'' Hernandez said through Marlins interpreter, Julio Sarmiento. ``Now I'm addicted. I absolutely love it. I can't get enough of it.''

How hooked is the reigning World Series MVP? Put it this way. The noted autophile recently swapped his yellow Ferrari for a pair of sensible black Mercedes sedans. The reason?

``I couldn't fit my golf clubs in the Ferrari,'' he says.

Now that's devotion.

Then again, if you were shooting regularly in the high 80s after playing the game for less than four months, you might go ga-ga for golf as well.

He picked up the game last fall, right after the World Series. Alex Fernandez is responsible. It was Fernandez who invited his fellow right-hander to play in his charity golf tournament.

For Livan, it was love at first swing. Soon he was buying his own clubs, taking lessons, practicing in his spare time. Golf became the best chaperone the Marlins could have imagined. (Actor Emilio Estevez has become a valued friend and adviser as well.)

Hernandez adhered to a strict offseason routine. Monday through Friday he would rise early, get to Pro Player Stadium by 10 a.m. and work out for two hours. He would lift weights, run on the treadmill and ride the stationary bike. From there it was off for a light lunch and an afternoon at the golf course.

One day, much to the amazement of his friends, Hernandez shot an 85.

So much for all that sudden success going to his head . . . and waistline. So much for ``I love you, Miami!'' degenerating into ``I devour you, Miami!'' The man was, and is, perfectly smitten.

What is it about golf and pitchers? Maybe it's something about the pace of the play, the repetitiveness of the action, the learned discipline of the muscles. Maybe it's the fact that starters really work only one day out of five.

Whatever the reason, Hernandez is well on his way to joining the Atlanta troika of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz among the ranks of certified links loonies. With a little luck, some would say, this could be the year Hernandez joins them in another department: mound respect.

You may believe that, too. Just don't broach the subject around Marlins manager Jim Leyland.

By necessity, the Marlins will likely use Hernandez as their Opening Day starter on March 31 against the Chicago Cubs. That would make him the de facto ace of the staff. But Leyland isn't buying it. He goes out of his way to divert hype and expectation from his young star's shoulders.

``He's not over the hump yet,'' Leyland says. ``We're obviously very happy about his performance last year. I think he's got a chance to be a good pitcher for a long time. I think he's a very tough individual, and I have a lot of respect for his insides. He showed a lot of class and a lot of poise for a young guy.

``But I think it would be unfair to put him in that [stopper) category. I just don't think you need that pressure at that age.''

Hernandez turns 23 on Friday. He already has four postseason wins and several million dollars in the bank. His mother, Miriam Carreras, is living in the Miami condo and driving the BMW he bought for her. His brother, Cuban pitching legend Orlando ``El Duque'' Hernandez, will soon join him in the United States and the major leagues.

So much has happened so fast for Hernandez, it's easy to forget he still has just nine regular-season victories and 17 starts to his name.

``Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to take anything away from Livan Hernandez,'' Leyland says. ``He has no fear. He really showed me a lot last year with how calm he was in special situations. He's a special guy.

``I'm just saying I don't want him being swamped at that early age: `Oh, you're the ace of the staff. You've got to do this. You've got to do that.' I don't want to put that pressure on him. It's not fair to him.''

The World Series MVP says he's not worried. He's realistic about his new role, but he's not daunted.

``Not at all,'' Hernandez says. ``Here you have to pitch. You don't worry about [the pressure) and think about that. Being No. 1 doesn't make you lose. It's what you do on the field. I'm going to try, like Leyland says, not to put any pressure on myself. Just go out, do my job, be prepared and have a good season.''